Trouble Man

• Director: Ivan Dixon
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Crime
• Movie Type: Police Detective Film, Blaxploitation
• Themes: Lone Wolves
• Release Year: 1972
• Country: US
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

An inner-city point man is on the run from both the cops and the crooks in this streetwise blaxpolitation drama. T (Robert Hooks) is a combination pool shark, private detective, and all-purpose ghetto fixer who operates out of a billiards parlor in South Central Los Angeles. T has done well for himself -- he drives a fancy new car, wears expensive suits, and lives in an upscale apartment -- but he also looks out for folks on the block, and knows how to tell the good guys from the bad guys on either side of the law. T is approached by Chalky (Paul Winfield) and his partner, Pete (Ralph Waite), who run a floating dice game in the neighborhood. Chalky tells T they've been ripped off by a band of thieves several nights running, and they want him to find out who the masked stick-up men are. T is willing to do the job for the right price, but it turns out Chalky and Pete are trying to take down rival crime kingpin Big (Julius Harris), and when one of Big's underlings turns up dead, T is blamed for the crime by both Big and corrupt police captain Joe Marx (Bill Smithers). Trouble Man also stars Paula Kelly's as T's love interest, and features an original score by Marvin Gaye. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Review

Trouble Man is a prototypical example of the blaxploitation genre: it's got a stoic tough-guy hero, easy-to-hate villains, an atmosphere of urban danger, and plenty of colorful street language. The storyline isn't particularly original or surprising, but screenwriter John D.F. Black assembles it with skill. Better yet, the tale is brought to life by a vivid cast of gifted actors: Robert Hooks is all quiet intensity as the hero, Julius Harris is a suitably menacing as a crime boss, and Paul Winfield and Ralph Waite are convincingly sleazy as a pair of aspiring hoods. Director Ivan Dixon gets strong, surprisingly understated performances from this well-chosen cast and gives the action a cool visual style that suits it well. The capper is a strong score by Marvin Gaye, including a fantastic, jazzy theme song. Ultimately, Trouble Man isn't ambitious enough to qualify as a blaxploitation classic, but its smooth style makes it very easy to watch for genre fans. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

Cast

Virginia Capers - Macy; Julius Harris - Big; Bill Henderson - Jimmy; Robert Hooks - Mr. T; Paula Kelly - Cleo; Danny Lopez - Young Boxer; Stack Pierce - Collie; Felton Perry - Bobby; William Smithers - Capt. Joe Marks; Wayne Storm - Frank; Paul Winfield - Chalky; Johnny Crawford - Sgt. Koeppler; Ralph Waite - Pete; Vince Howard - Preston; Edmund Cambridge - Sam; Larry Cook - Buddy; Tracy Reed - Policewoman

Credit

Albert Brenner - Art Director, Reuben Watt - First Assistant Director, Ivan Dixon - Director, Michael Kahn - Editor, Marvin Gaye - Composer (Music Score), Michel Hugo - Cinematographer, John D.F. Black - Producer, Joel Freeman - Producer, Morrie Hoffman - Set Designer, Logan R. Frazee - Special Effects, Theodore Soderberg - Sound/Sound Designer, John D.F. Black - Screenwriter

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